It is time to fear soggy bottoms and hope for something moist as The Great British Bake Off just revealed details about the contestants for the upcoming season. As usual, there are some queer contenders baking for the crown: Aaron (38), a Senior Systems Architect who lives in London with his boyfriend; Jessika (32), a Service Designer and rollerskating drag king; Leighton (59), a Software Delivery Manager from Swansea who is married to his husband; and Tom (31), a Creative Entrepreneur who is a member of two queer sports teams and has a boyfriend of three years.
Debuting in 2010, The Great British Bake Off has had a number of LGBTQ+ participants across the years. This includes several co-hosts: Sue Perkins (Season 1-7), Sandi Toksvig (Season 8-10) and Matt Lucas (Season 11-13). Each provided countless baking double entendres during their tenures. Comedian Tom Allen contributes to The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice, a spin-off show that involves discussions about the main competition.
The series has also had a bunch of LGBTQ+ winners.
Edd Kimber
The very first season was won by a gay man, Edd Kimber, then 24, who worked in a bank when the series began. Since winning, Kimber has written a number of cookbooks: The Boy Who Bakes (2011), Say It with Cake (2012), Patisserie Made Simple (2014), One Tin Bakes (2020), One Tin Bakes Easy (2021), and Small Batch Bakes (2022). He was also the “resident baker” on The Alan Titchmarsh Show.
John Whaite
Season 3 (2012) saw another queer winner with the then-22-year-old law student, John Whaite, taking the crown. He graduated from law but went on to attend Le Cordon Bleu, a French hospitality and culinary education institution. He has worked on a number of TV shows and written several cookbooks: John Whaite Bakes (2013), John Whaite Bakes at Home (2014), Perfect Plates in 5 Ingredients (2016), Comfort: Food to Soothe the Soul (2018), and A Flash in the Pan (2019). In 2021, he was part of the first male same-sex pairing on Strictly Come Dancing, finishing as runner-up. He opened an online brownie-selling business, Ruff Puff Brownies, and recently opened a physical store, Ruff Puff Bakehouse. In February 2025, he started an OnlyFans page, a decision he says cost him a brand deal with Peugeot. It also caused Waitrose to remove his recipes from their website.
David Atherton
Season 10 (2019) was won by David Atherton, then 36 and a health adviser who was encouraged to sign up to compete by his friends in his pottery class. He impressed the judges and public with unique flavours and healthier recipes. He started writing a cookery column for The Guardian in 2020, focusing on food for fitness. His first book, My First Cookbook (2020), is a children’s cookbook. In 2021, he published two other books for young cooks: My First Green Cookbook and Bake, Make, and Learn to Cook. Good to Eat, also published in 2021, features healthy twists to classic recipes.
Other LGBTQ contestants lost out in the finals.
Ruby Tanoh
In Season 4 (2013), Ruby Tanoh, a university student, was runner-up. She came out on Twitter in 2015, with a link to the Diana Ross song ‘I’m Coming Out’. In a 2018 interview with The Times, Tandoh identified herself as bisexual. She married her partner, Leah, in 2018. She has written cookbooks Crumb (2014), Flavour (2016), Eat Up! (2018), Breaking Eggs (2021), and Cook As You Are (2022).
Tamal Ray
Season 6 (2015) runner-up, Tamal Ray, a trainee anaesthetist at the time of the competition, came out as gay after being inundated with offers from female fans on Twitter.
We will have to wait and see how this season’s queer contestants do. So have your sweet treat and cup of tea at the ready when the show returns in September!
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